ALTON applauds NCC’s forex, USSD reforms, seeks tougher action on fibre cuts

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for its impactful regulatory interventions that have stabilised Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.

ALTON Chairman, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, gave the commendation during a courtesy visit to Mr. Idris Olorunnimbe, Chairman of the NCC’s Board of Commissioners, in Lagos.

Adebayo said recent foreign exchange reforms and the resolution of the N300 billion Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) debt crisis helped restore stability and investor confidence in the telecom industry.

Telecom operators, he noted, generate revenue in naira but settle critical obligations — including bandwidth, software licensing, equipment procurement and international traffic — in foreign currency. During periods of forex scarcity, this mismatch placed significant strain on operators.

According to him, recent forex reforms improved foreign exchange availability, reduced foreign debt exposure and strengthened market confidence.

On the USSD debt crisis, Adebayo explained that the liability, which accumulated over four years to nearly N300 billion, posed systemic risks to both the telecom and digital financial services ecosystem.

“However, through regulatory intervention, the system was migrated to end-user billing and the outstanding debt was eliminated, converting what was a looming crisis into a sustainable framework,” he said.

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Adebayo also lauded the NCC’s approval of tariff adjustments after 13 years of static pricing, describing the move as critical to preventing service rationing and industry decline.

He said rising inflation, currency volatility, ageing infrastructure and escalating energy costs had driven tariffs below cost-reflective levels prior to the review.

The adjustment, he added, has helped restore gradual profitability, improve network stability and revive capital expenditure planning among operators.

Despite the progress, Adebayo raised concern over frequent fibre optic cable cuts, largely attributed to road construction activities. He described the incidents as a major threat to national connectivity and service reliability.

He called for stricter consequence management, insisting that contractors responsible for damaging telecom infrastructure must repair the facilities before proceeding with further work.

In his response, Olorunnimbe described telecommunications as the “central nervous system” of the economy, noting that network disruptions affect commerce, education, healthcare and governance.

He said the NCC would continue to adopt a partnership-based approach with operators while ensuring fairness, accountability and improved service quality for consumers.

Olorunnimbe emphasised the need to strengthen enforcement of the Critical National Infrastructure designation, stressing that accountability for infrastructure damage must be non-negotiable.

He also reaffirmed the Commission’s regulatory independence, stating that decisions would remain guided by national interest and institutional integrity.

The NCC chairman further urged telecom operators to align with broader national objectives, including expanding connectivity to underserved communities and considering zero-rated access to educational platforms to promote digital inclusion.

ALTON, the umbrella body for all licensed telecom operators and service providers in Nigeria, includes major voice and data telephony companies as well as providers of ancillary and value-added services.